Last verified 2026-09-12. Regulator: Illinois Department of Public Health, with registration through local health departments. This page is not legal advice.
What must a cottage food label show in Illinois?
A Illinois cottage food label must show these 8 items:
- The name of the cottage food operation and the unit of local government in which it is located
- The identifying registration number from the local health department certificate of registration, and the name of the municipality or county where the registration was filed
- The common or usual name of the food product
- All ingredients of the food product, including any color, artificial flavor, and preservative, listed in descending order by predominance of weight, shown with the common or usual names
- The following phrase in prominent lettering: "This product was produced in a home kitchen not inspected by a health department that may also process common food allergens. If you have safety concerns, contact your local health department."
- The date the product was processed
- Allergen labeling as specified under federal labeling requirements
- At the point of sale, a separate prominent notice: "This product was produced in a home kitchen not inspected by a health department that may also process common food allergens." A physical display uses a placard; an online sale uses a message on the sales interface.
What disclaimer must a Illinois cottage food label have?
Yes. A Illinois cottage food label must carry this statement, word for word:
This product was produced in a home kitchen not inspected by a health department that may also process common food allergens. If you have safety concerns, contact your local health department.
Does Illinois require a Nutrition Facts panel on cottage food?
We have not confirmed this yet. Federal rules exempt most small producers unless the label makes a nutrient or health claim. Check the Illinois sources below. If you want to add one, the Nutrition Label Maker prints it in the FDA layout for free.
What foods can you sell under the Illinois cottage food law?
Homemade food and drink, except the items the law bans. The banned list covers meat, poultry, fish, seafood, shellfish, dairy and eggs (each with narrow baked good exceptions), pumpkin, sweet potato, custard and creme pies, cheesecakes, pastries with time or temperature control fillings or toppings, garlic in oil unless acidified, low-acid canned foods, sprouts, cut leafy greens unless dehydrated, acidified, or blanched and frozen, cut or pureed fresh tomato or melon, dehydrated tomato or melon, frozen cut melon, wild-harvested mushrooms, alcoholic beverages, and kombucha. Canned tomato products and fermented or acidified foods need a tested recipe or laboratory testing.
Where can you sell cottage food in Illinois?
Direct to consumers only, never for resale. The law lists farmers' markets, fairs, festivals, public events, online sales, pickup from the operator's home or farm, delivery to the customer, pickup from third-party private property with the owner's consent, and mobile farmers markets. Only food that is not a time or temperature control for safety food may be shipped, the package must have a tamper-evident seal, and shipping out of state is banned.
Do you need a permit to sell cottage food in Illinois?
Register each year with the local health department for the area where the operation is located. The department issues a certificate of registration with an identifying registration number and may charge a fee of up to $50. The person who prepares or packages the product must be a Department-approved certified food protection manager.
Is there a sales limit for cottage food in Illinois?
No cap. Section 4 sets no limit on sales.
What else should you know about the Illinois rules?
You may sell across Illinois, but you register only where you are located. If your county has no health department, it must contract with an adjacent county to register you. A local health department may allow unpackaged products when a product is hard to label; you then give the buyer other prominent written notice. A local department may require a water test on a private well, and it may require laboratory testing for a baked good with cheese. Home rule cities may not add rules that conflict with the state law, but a Chicago operator must follow city laws that apply to all home-based businesses. Bake sale items for a religious, charitable, or nonprofit fundraiser are exempt from this section.
How accurate is this page?
Every label item, the disclaimer, the point-of-sale notice, the sales channels, the shipping rules, and the registration terms were read from 410 ILCS 625/4 on the Illinois General Assembly site on 2026-09-12. That text lists its source as P.A. 103-903, eff. 1-1-25, and 104-417, eff. 8-15-25. The Illinois Department of Public Health page did not load from this machine, so no agency guidance was read. A nutrition panel is not confirmed either way: the law only says packaging must meet the labeling requirements of the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.